Snow-clearing machine



ATTORNEYS 5 SheetS Sheet 1 M SCHMIDT SNOW CLEARING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14 1921 I %M 1 z0/ INVENTOR.

April 21, 1925.

April 21, 1925.

M. SCHMIDT SNOW CLEARING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14 1921 MN N -l lill li- @n k I lllll wMMK/JM INVENTOR.

April 21, 1925. 1,534,611

M. SCHMIDT SNOW CLEARING MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1921 3 Sheets S b et 5 V INVENTOR.

T TORNEYJC Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES "IIICHAIEL SCHMIDT, OF 'WAUWA'IOSA, WISCONSIN.

SNOW-CLEARING MACHINE.

Application filed February 14, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL SCHMIDT, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Wauwatosa, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Snow-Clearing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to snow handling machines and is particularly directed to a power driven machine adapted to travel along a snow covered roadway and continuously remove the snow.

The general object of this invention is to provide an effective road machine for removing snow from the roadway and delivering it along the sides thereof.

The improved machine is to be distinguished on the one hand from an ordinary snow-plow which ceases to become effective after the snow has reached a certain degree of hardness, or after it has been converted into ice or covered by an icy crust of sufficient thickness and resistance to prevent it from being lifted and broken up by the plow. On the other hand, while the improved machine contains many of the features of socalled excavators employed for handling earth, sand, gravel or broken fragments of rock it is, nevertheless, to be distinguished from such machines in that the character of the devices employed for breaking up encrusted snow and cutting ice is quite different from rock-breakers, pickers, drills and cutters employed for ordinary excavating machines.

Another condition to be met in a successful road clearing machine or snow remover arises from the fact that after a roadway has been once cleared and the snow piled at the sides, a treneh is formed into which the snow may subsequently drift from one side or the other, frequently forming overhangin; ledges and transversely extending ridges or drifts, the deeper portions of which are on the side from which the snow comes. These drifts create areas of unequal resistances and tend to crowd the road cleaning machine toward the opposite side of the road from that at which the drift forms. It is, therefore, necessary to provide means for resisting this lateral displacement of the road machine for otherwise the new trench may be displaced in whole or in part from the road-bed. In such cases when the snow and Serial No. 444,642.

ice begins to melt, the vehicles cut through into the ditches or into the soft earth at one side or the other of the hard roadway and the displaced road becomes impassable.

Another consideration peculiar to the use of snow cleaning devices is that such machines or devices are used but a few times during a comparatively small portion of the year and are, frequently, used not more than a half dozen times during any given winter. While upon other occasions frequent use is desirable. It, therefore, becomes exceeding ly important to provide a snow cleaning machine which can be attached to any ordinary farm tractor and manipulated by the tractor, the latter being also used to drive the working parts of the machine While so connected.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a machine adapted to meet all the conditions of snow accumulation upon a roadway and remove the snow economically and efficiently with minimum expenditure for operation and also of capital invested.

Further objects are to provide a machine which has a moving cutter for cutting the hard bottom crust in the roadway and a moving cutter for cutting any projecting crust along the sides of the roadway: to provide a machine which has adjustable connection with rear trailing wheels so as to vary the angle between the front of the machine and the roadway; and which has steering mechanism independent of the propelling mechanism.

Further. objects are to provide a machine for cleaning a snow covered roadway with mechanism whereby the forward travel of the machine and the speed at which the snow handling portions operate may be independently varied, and in which either may be temporarily stopped without affecting the other: to provide a machine in which the snow handling devices and the crust cut ting devices are automatically protected from damage; and to provide a machine which may be cheaply manufactured and which may be operated by unskilled labor.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is aplan view thereof.

" one of the supporting shoes.

Fig. 7 is afragmentary side elevation partly in section of a further form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end elevation of the form illustrated in Fig. 7.

Machines embodying this invention may be subdivided longitudinally into half sections, at least as to the snow removing mechanism. When the half sections are united they remove the snow from the entire width of the roadway and deliver it laterally from the center toward the respective sides. lVhen one half section is removed the other half may still be operated to deliver the snow from half the roadway.

The machine illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 embodies a frame-mounted upon supporting wheels, two of which are adapted to serve as steering-wheels, said frame being open and adapted to receive an independently operated tractor having flexible connection with the frame and adapted to be used for other purposes when disconnected. In front of the tractor a set of cross conveyors are mounted upon a series of parallel runners, similar to sled runners. considerable number of these runners may be employed and spaced apart at short intervals across the roadway to not only afford ample support for the base or platform of the conveyors, but also to provide ample resistance to lateral thrust in cases where the snow is massed on one side.

In addition to the main Wheel-supported frame the independently operated tractor and the conveyors supported by the runners a series of cutters and choppers are employed and arranged to co-operate in such a manner that frozen material may be cut from the roadway, broken down by the choppers, raked backwardly upon-the conveyor platform and delivered laterally to the side of the road, additional choppers being provided for use when the snow becomes piled at the sides of the road in such a manner as to threaten interference with the operation ofthe conveyors.

The conveyor frame structure is composed of frame bars 1, 2. 3 and 4 connected with a wheel-supported frame having side bars 5 and 6, a rear cross-bar 7 and a front platform or connecting member 8. The bars 5 and 6 extend through the conveyor'frame and are attached thereto.

Within the rectangular opening formed by the frame members 5, 6, 7 and 8 a propelling tractor 9 may be positioned. This tractor may be of any ordinary construction but it is preferably coupled to the cross-bars forward wheels 14.

or members of the frame by flexible connections such as the chains 10 and 11 which have their respective ends secured to the sides or corners of the tractor frame and which intermediately extend over pulleys 12 and 13 carried by the frame members 7 and 8, whereby the tractor may be steered to the right or left between the frame bars 5 and (S to assist in turning the snow removing machine in corresponding directions.v For example, if the tractor turns to the right it is permitted by the chains to assume an oblique position within the enclosing frame and tends to force pulley l3 and associated parts to the right with a substantially equal left hand pressure upon pulley 12, tending to swing the rear end of the associated frame to the left.

The frame member 8 supports the engine 58 which is preferably employed to operate the cutters, choppers and conveying mechanism.

The steering wheels 14 are controlled by a steering hand-wheel 15 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, and the rear wheels 16 are preferably provided with adjustable caster mountings 17, which mountings permit of a vertical adjustment to lift or lower the rear end of the wheel-supported frame to correspondingly tilt the entire machine over the The cross frame or conveyor frame represented by the members 1, 2, 3 and 4 is provided with a sheet-iron bottom plate 18 mounted upon a set of supporting runners 22. These runners preferably comprise I beams except at their upwardly tapered front ends where, for the sake of economy in construction, triangular plates 19 arebolted to the vertical webs of the I beams to form upwardly inclined runner nosepieces adapted to guide the runners over irregularities in the roadway. Each nosepiece comprises two triangular platesbolted to opposite sides of the vertical web of the I beam and also bolted together in front of the I beam as best shown at 23 in Fig. 6.

Each of the runner nose-pieces has its upper margin provided with a circular opening 24 which forms a bearing for a transversely disposed shaft 25. This shaft has its upper surface flattened or planed off to receive a cutter-plate 26, the latter being lifted to the shaft and disposed directly in front of the conveyor plate or platform 18, the rear margin of the cutter-plate 26 being rounded to allow the plate to tilt upwardly without striking the margin of the conveyor platform, although, under normal conditions, the lower surface of the cutterplate at its rear margin is in substantial contact with the front edge or margin of the platform 18 to prevent material from wedging therebet-ween.

The shaft may oscillate in its bearings and, therefore, the cutter-plate is permitted of a plate 42, or as an alternative form the to lift and swing about the pivotal axis of the shaft 25 if an unyielding obstruction is encountered, such for example, as a projecting stone in the roadway.

Each cutter-plate is provided with a serrated or sickle-shaped front margin, the teeth 26 of which constitute cutters for sep arating icy masses from the roadway by reciprocation of the cutter-plate transversely of the line of travel of the machine The nose-pieces 19 of the respective runners serve as supporting guard fingers for the cutter-plate. The cutter-plate is reciprocated transversely of the line of machine movement by power derived from the engine 58 as hereinafter explained. Accumulations of ice or hard packed snow may thus be under cut and easily broken up by the operation of the chopping devices which will now be explained.

A series of levers 27 are provided with chopping blades or hoe-shaped members 28. The rear ends of these levers are supported by levers 29 from a. cross-shaft 30 at a point intermediate the ends of the levers 27. Each lever is connected at 31 to a crank forming a part of a transversely extending shaft 78. The crank-shaft and also the cooperating cutters are, preferably formed in half sections, but the crank-shaft sections are preferably connected by a universal joint 33. whereby both may be driven from p a sprocket wheel 34 secured to one section and driven from the engine or motor The shaft is rotated in a direction to move the cranks and levers 27 outwardly on the upper side and then downwardly and inwardly on the lower side 2), The chopping blades or hoes being thus driven downwardly into the encrusted snow or ice and undermined by the cutters 26. The hoeshaped chopping blades then draw the loosened or broken fragments inwardly toward the conveyor platform 18 with a hoeing or raking movement and serving to draw the snow and broken bottom crust inwardly over the sickle members 26 and on to the floor plate 18.

The snow is scraped sidewise off this floor plate 18 and carried upwardly along the inclined sides adjacent the roadway by means of conveyors 35 and 36 which comprise forward and rear chains 37 and 3S and intermediate scraping or conveying blades 39 which are mounted upon such chains.

Fig. 4 shows in detail one of the conveying blades and it will be noted that such blade is widened adjacent its lower portion and projects outwardly as indicated at 40 beneath the chains and is narrowed adjaccnt its upper portion so as to pass up wardly between the chains. It is rigidly secured to a link 41 as for example by means plate and corresponding link may be formed integrally. A similar construction is of course provided upon each side of the blade 39 for the purpose of allowing the blade to have a pivotal action by tilting the links 41 when an obstruction is encountered, which has a resistance exceeding a predetermined value. The natural pull of the chains will tend to return the blade to its normal position transversely of such chains, but such pull is supplemented by'a pair of springs 43 which are secured to brackets 44 carried by certain rcarwardly positioned links and to the upper portion of the blade'39.

These conveyors each pass across one-half of the floor plate 18, passing over sprocket wheels 45 adjacent the center portion, 46 adjacent the outer side of the machine, 47 at an elevated adjustable point to the side a and usually above the main framework of the machine and returning over sprocket 48 iunnediatcly above the first mentioned sprocket wheel 45. The position of the sprocket wheel 47 and correspondingly the angle at which the sides of the roadway will be formed as the snow is carried out is determined by the position of the arms 49 which are pivotally mounted at 50 upon brackets 51 and adjustably secured to the upright post Innncdiatcly above the upright posts and forming a. continuation thereof are second posts 53 which carry a drum 54 which may be manually rotated by means of the crank 55 and secured in any desired adjusted position by a suitable pawl or similar mechanism 56. These arms, posts, brackets, and drum respectively numbered 49, 51, 52 and 54, are duplicated upon the opposite side of the machine, when a double unit machine is provided, as shown in the drawings. The arms 49 extend from points slightly inside of the outline of the main framework and are provided with portions 57 which ,are offset. forwardly and rearwardly respectively upon the forward and rear arms so as to allow suflicient room between the sprocket wheels 47,

The power for driving the snow handling mechanism is furnished by a gasoline engine or other suitable motor 58 which may conveniently be carried upon the cross piece 8 to the rear of the main framework of the machine. This motor drives thru a clutch whose operating lever is indicated at 59, thru a transmission whose operating lever is indicated at 60, and finally thru a. universal joint 61 to the snow handling mechanisms. The clutch and transmission are not illustrated in detail as they are well known mechanisms, it being understood that at least two forward speeds and one rear speed may be had thru the transmission so that the speed and direction at which the snow handling mechanisms operate may ISO be controlled at will independently of the bodily speed of the entire machine along the roadway.

The shaft 62 which extends forwardly thru the main framework, thru the universal joint 69, is provided with a relatively small pinion 63 upon'the forward side of the machine. This pinion meshes with a larger gear 6-1 which is in mesh with a duplicate gear 65 immediately upon the opposite side of the center line of the machine. These gears 61 and G5 are each mounted rigidly upon transverse shafts 66 which carry at each end the sprocket wheels 18 upon which the conveyor chains run. Upon their rear ends, they carry additional sprocket wheels 67 which, by means of a chain 68, are operatively connected with corresponding sprocket wheels 69 upon the shafts 70 and 71 which carry respectively the sprocket wheels 40 and 45 upon which the conveyor chains also run. It will thus be seen that a three point driving for the conveyor chains is secured by this construction. that is to say, the sprocket wheels 18, 45 and 46, all are effective in driving such chains.

The shaft 66 carries at its forward end a relatively small bevel gear 72 which meshes with a larger bevel gear 73 in a plane at right angles to the shaft 66. Upon the shaft 74 of the latter bevel wheel, is mounted a small sprocket wheel 7 5 which by means of a chain 76 imparts motion to a larger sprocket wheel 77 mounted upon the crank shaft 78 which extends completely across the front of the machine and operates the arms 27.

Upon the rear face of the sprocket wheels 09, are mounted crank pins 79 which, thru the medium of the pitmen 80, transmit oscillatory movements to levers 81 which are pivotally mounted beneath the floor plate 18 of the machine. The point at which the pivoting occurs is adjustable as is indicated in Fig. 3 by means of a bolt 82 and a series of openings 83 formed both in the floor plate and in the levers 81. This oscillating lever 81 is housed by means of a bottom plate 83 which is secured to adjacent transverse members 22 upon opposite sides of such lever. The forward and rear portions of this housing are of course open. The forward end of each of the levers 81 is slotted as indicated at 84, Fig. 0, and receives a pin 85 which is mounted in the corresponding shaft 25, the slotting of course being for the purpose of allowing the pivotal action of the sickle members 26.

In order to protect the conveyors from damage by projecting snow crust upon the sides of the roadway, a series of angularly positioned blades 86 are carried upon a rod 87 upon each side of the machine. These rods are swingingly carried by levers 88 pivoted at one end at 89 upon the arms 49 and at their other ends are pivotally joined to the rods 87. These rods receive their oscillatory motion from a crank 90 carried upon the shaft 91.0f the outer pinions 46. It will be seen that as the rods 89 oscillate that this motion is also compounded with an up and down motion such as to feed the material that is broken from the projecting crust upwardly and rearwardly into the line of the conveyors so as to cause such material to be carried up along the sides of the roadway by the conveyors and also to protect the conveyors from this crust.

Fig. 7 shows a further form that this invention may take. The general arrangement of conveyors, and sickles for cutting the bottom crust is the same. However, in front of the main framework of the machine is mounted a reel-like structure which is car-- ried upon a shaft 92 carried in bearings upon the projecting framework members 93. Upon the shaft is mounted a series of radial arms 94 which carry at their ends scraping blades 95 pivotally joined thereto as indicated at 96. These scraping blades 95 have integrally formed therewith an arm 97 provided with an arcuate slot 98 thru which passes the locking bolt 99 by which means the. angle of contact of the scraping blades with the snow may be varied. The power for driving this reel is supplied from the shaft 72 by means of the sprocket wheels 101 and chain 102.

The shaft 92 may be made in two parts joined by means of universal joints with angularly extending shafts 103 which. at their outer end, are carried in bearings 101 secured to the members 49. It is of course understood that these bearings 104 are preferably of the sliding type to allow slight relative adjustments as the arms 49 are raised or lowered. A series of angularly inclined vanes 105 are mounted at different points along the length of the shafts 103 and are designed to cut into the snow or crustupon the side of the roadway and to feed the resulting broken crust upwardly and rearwardly on to the side conveyors.

In this form of the invention as well as in the first form, it is preferred to use a sepa- 1 rate tractor of any desired type for propelling the machine forwardly along the roadway and a distinct and separate power plant for operating the snow handling mechanism thru a variable speed transmission and clutch. However, it is within the province of this invention to both drive the machine forwardly and operate the snow handling mechanism by means of the same-engine, in which case the transmission and clutch would be retained and the usualtransmission and clutch for the propelling mechanism would also be retained.

It will thus be seen that a machine has been provided which is admirably adapted for work upon snow covered roads and which is protected against damage by the sickle construction and by the devices for breaking and removing projecting side crusts. It will further ,be seen that the speed of operation of the snow handling mechanism may be var'ed independently of the speed of travel of the entire machine so that when an unusual load is thrown upon the snow handling mechanism, itmay be run at a relatively faster rate if desired, or else the propelling mechanism may be runat a slower rate.

It will also be seen that the machine will completely clear aroadway even thru the bottom crust and that the mechanism employed for handling the snow is of relatively simple and of very efiic'ent design.

I claim:

1. A machine for clearing snow from roadways comprising a. wheel-supported frame, a runner supported cross-com-eyor, an undermining cutter, and a co-operating set of choppers adapted to cut and break up frozen material and deliver it to the cross-conveyor.

2. A machine for clearing snow from roadways comprising a wheel-supported frame, a runner supported cross-conveyor connected with the frame and held against lateral movement by the runners, means for breaking up frozen material and delivering it to said cross-conveyor, amotor for driving the cross-conveyor, and an independent propelling tractor having flexible connections at its front and rear ends with the wheel-supported frame, said flexible connections being adapted to permit lateral turning movements of the tractor within said wheel-supported frame.

A niach'ne for clearing snow from roadways comprising the combination of a wheelsupported frame, a set of runners mounted for travel along the roadway in front of said frame, a conveyor carried by said runners and held thereby against lateral movement, means for breaking up and delivering encrusted snow and ice to the conveyor, an independently operable propelling tractor within said wheel-supported frame, pulleys at the front and rear endsof said frame, and flexible connections extending about said pulleys and attached to the respective sides of the tractor frame at its front and rear ends, whereby the tractor may be independently turned within said wheel-supported frame to assist in steering the latter.

4. A machine for clearing snow from roadways comprising the combination of a wheel supported frame, a set of runners mounted for travel along the roadway in front of said frame, a conveyor carried by sa d runners and held thereby against lateral movement, means for breaking up and-delivering encrusted snow and ice to the conveyor, an independently operable propelling tractor within said wheel-supported frame, pulleys at the front and rear ends of said frame, and flexible connections extending about said pulleys and attached to the respective sides of the tractor frame at its'front and rear ends, whereby the tractor may be independently turned within said wheel-supported frame to assist in steering the latter, and means for independently turning the supporting wheels of said wheel supported frame for steering purposes.

5. A machine for removing snow from roadways comprising the combinat on of a power-driven undermining cutter, a co-opcrating set of power-driven choppers adapted to. break down the undermined material, and a conveyor mechanism adapted to receive the material broken down by the choppers and convey it to the side of the roadway.

6. A machine for removing snow from roadways comprising the comb'nation of a power-driven undermining cutter, a co-opcrating set of power-driven choppers adapted to break down the undermined material, and a conveyor mechanism adapted to receive the material broken down by the choppers, and convey it to the side of the roadway, said choppers comprising a series of chopping blades adapted to be swung n a descending are into contact with the material, and to rake the loosened material back- *ardly to the conveying mechanism.

7. A machine for removing snow from roadways comprising a transversely movable tooth-blade for undermining the material to be removed in combination with means for break ng down the undermined material, and means for conveying it laterally and upwardly to the side of the roadway.

8. A machine for removing snow from the roadway comprising a conveyor, a. trans versely extendin series of runners adapted to support the conveyor and preventit from shifting laterally, a wheel-supported frame provided with a power plant adapted to drive the conveyor, means for breaking up and delivering snow and iceto the conveyor, and means for flexibly connecting an independently operable motor driven. vehicle to said wheel-supported frame, whereby the latter may be propelled along the roadway and its forward movement controlled to keep it in proper position on the road.

9. A machine for removing snow from the roadway comprising a conveyor, a transversely extending series of runners adapted to support the conveyor and prevent it from shifting laterally, a wheel-supported frame provided with a power plant adapted to drivethe conveyor, means for breaking up and delivering snow and ice to the conve or, and means for flexibly connecting an independently operable motor-driven vehicle to said wheel-supported frame, whereby the latter may be propelled along the roadway and its forward movement controlled to keep it in proper position on the road, said wheelsupported frame being also provided with co-operating steering means.

10. A machine for removing snow from roadways comprising a wheel-supported frame, a power plant mounted thereon, a cross-conveyor connected with the frame and operatively connected with the power plant, a set of undermining cutters, a set of cooperating choppers adapted to break down the undermined material and deliver it to the cross-conveyor, means for raising and lowering the delivery end of the cross-conveyor, and co-operating choppers for breaking down material from the pile or ridge at the side of the roadway to prevent interference with the operation of the conveyor, said undermining cutter and choppers being driven from said power plant. 7 11. In a machine for removing snow from roadways'and including a cross conveyor having a portion for elevating and delivering snow to the side of the roadway and a power plant for operating the conveyor; a set of co-operating choppers adjacent the forward side of the elevating portion of the conveyor and adapted to break down and deliver snow adjacent said portion to the conveyor, said chopper having power driven connections with said power plant.

12. In a machine for removing snow from roadways and including a cross conveyor having a portion for elevating and delivering snow to the side of the roadway and a power plant for operating the conveyor; a set of co-operating choppers adjacent the forward side of the elevating portion of the conveyor adapted to break down and deliver snow adjacent said portion to said conveyor, said choppers having crank mechanism driven from said power plant whereby to oscillate said chopper.

- 13. In a machinefor removing snow from' roadways, the combination with a cross conveyor having a portion for elevating and delivering snow to the side of the roadway, of a support for the delivery end of the conveyor, a rod having a set of choppers mounted thereon, a lever pivotally connected at one end to said support and at the other end with said rod, a crank connected with said rod and power vdriven means for operating said conveyor and crank whereby snow at the forward side of the conveyor will be broken down and elevated toward the delivery end of the conveyor.

14. In a machine'for removing snow from roadways, the combination with a cross conveyor having a portion for elevating and delivering snow to the side of the roadway, of a support for the delivery end of the con- 'veyor, a rod'having a set of choppers mounted thereon, a lever pivotally connected at one end to said support and at the other end with said rod, a crank connected with said rod, and power driven means for operating said conveyor and crank, said choppers being arranged angnlarly on said rod, whereby snow at the forward side of the conveyor may be broken down and elevated for the delivery end of the conveyor.

15. In a machine for removing snow from roadways, the combination with a cross conveyor having a portion for delivering snow to the side of the roadway, of a set of choppers adjacent the forward side of the delivery'portion of the conveyor, and power driven mechanism for operating the convcyor and for operating the choppers into periodical contact with the snow adjacent the forward side of said conveyor.

MICHAEL SCHMIDT. 

